dfnj
Well-Known Member
People can be very judgmental and quick to dismiss certain beliefs. Having a belief, or no belief, in God is not something people should accept or discount lightly without spending the necessary time to learn the esoteric knowledge about religion and spirituality. Just because you use a toilet everyday doesn't make you a master plumber. The same thing is true with religion. You need to study all the religions before you understand why the one you choose makes the most sense for you.
The other day someone said to me in all-caps when I die and go to heaven where I will face God's judgment. They said God is looking at me right now saying, "FEAR ME OR SUFFER FOR ALL ETERNITY." This statement really shook me a bit. So I've been thinking about the idea whether or not we should be fearing God. I did some research and I could not find anywhere in the Bible where God says directly "fear me or else.". I think what is generally said in the Bible is if you do not live a moral life then you will suffer in Hell for all eternity.
A few months ago I spent a huge amount of time reading the Tibetan Book of the Dead and commentary on the book (see video references below). And after thinking about the "FEAR ME OR SUFFER FOR ALL ETERNITY." comment, I had a realization. I think there is a parallel in the Bible's death mythology and what is described in the Tibetan Book of the dead. And the statement "FEAR ME OR SUFFER FOR ALL ETERNITY." is the exactly opposite. In other words, fearing God causes one to suffer for all eternity. Let me explain.
In the Tibetan way of thinking, when you die you are tormented by creations of your own imagination. Since each of us is our own greatest judge and critic, we create the most precise and perfect monsters that would make us suffer the most as we journey down the path to rebirth. The Tibetan Book of the Dead includes long repetitions of prayers designed to get person who has died to let go of torturing themselves and allow themselves to achieve their final Buddha nature. Achieving Buddha consciousness seams to me to be the exact same experience as turning into the light and looking directly into the face of God and experiencing God's infinite beauty. Experiencing God's infinite beauty is the greatest possible experience anyone can have. So achieving the final Buddha consciousness seem to me to be pretty much the same thing as experiencing eternal heavenly bliss by experiencing God's infinite beauty.
When you travel down the path to reincarnation according to the Tibetan Book of the Dead you will face all kinds of suffering. For whatever reason, as you travel down the path of reincarnation, your fears and hatreds will prevent you from achieving the final Buddha state and you are forced to choose reincarnation.
So essentially, combining the two mythologies, as long as you fear God, and you are not able to face God and look at Him directly, then you will continue the endless cycle of death and rebirth. Essentially being reincarnated is the same thing as going to Hell. The Buddha proclaimed, "All life is suffering."
Being afraid of God or fearing God seems really strange to me. I choose to have faith in an omnipotent God of unconditional love. But it seems most people prefer to have faith in a God of conditional love or judgement type God. It seems to me based on all my readings of religion God should be the one thing we have in our lives that comes absolutely free and without any anxieties!
Here's a 2 1/2 hour reading of the Tibetan Book of the Dead:
Here's a 6 hour commentary on the book:
Here are the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism are stated in simple terms:
1. Suffering, pain, and misery exist in life
2. Suffering arises from attachment to desires
3. Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases
4. Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eight-fold Path
The other day someone said to me in all-caps when I die and go to heaven where I will face God's judgment. They said God is looking at me right now saying, "FEAR ME OR SUFFER FOR ALL ETERNITY." This statement really shook me a bit. So I've been thinking about the idea whether or not we should be fearing God. I did some research and I could not find anywhere in the Bible where God says directly "fear me or else.". I think what is generally said in the Bible is if you do not live a moral life then you will suffer in Hell for all eternity.
A few months ago I spent a huge amount of time reading the Tibetan Book of the Dead and commentary on the book (see video references below). And after thinking about the "FEAR ME OR SUFFER FOR ALL ETERNITY." comment, I had a realization. I think there is a parallel in the Bible's death mythology and what is described in the Tibetan Book of the dead. And the statement "FEAR ME OR SUFFER FOR ALL ETERNITY." is the exactly opposite. In other words, fearing God causes one to suffer for all eternity. Let me explain.
In the Tibetan way of thinking, when you die you are tormented by creations of your own imagination. Since each of us is our own greatest judge and critic, we create the most precise and perfect monsters that would make us suffer the most as we journey down the path to rebirth. The Tibetan Book of the Dead includes long repetitions of prayers designed to get person who has died to let go of torturing themselves and allow themselves to achieve their final Buddha nature. Achieving Buddha consciousness seams to me to be the exact same experience as turning into the light and looking directly into the face of God and experiencing God's infinite beauty. Experiencing God's infinite beauty is the greatest possible experience anyone can have. So achieving the final Buddha consciousness seem to me to be pretty much the same thing as experiencing eternal heavenly bliss by experiencing God's infinite beauty.
When you travel down the path to reincarnation according to the Tibetan Book of the Dead you will face all kinds of suffering. For whatever reason, as you travel down the path of reincarnation, your fears and hatreds will prevent you from achieving the final Buddha state and you are forced to choose reincarnation.
So essentially, combining the two mythologies, as long as you fear God, and you are not able to face God and look at Him directly, then you will continue the endless cycle of death and rebirth. Essentially being reincarnated is the same thing as going to Hell. The Buddha proclaimed, "All life is suffering."
Being afraid of God or fearing God seems really strange to me. I choose to have faith in an omnipotent God of unconditional love. But it seems most people prefer to have faith in a God of conditional love or judgement type God. It seems to me based on all my readings of religion God should be the one thing we have in our lives that comes absolutely free and without any anxieties!
Here's a 2 1/2 hour reading of the Tibetan Book of the Dead:
Here's a 6 hour commentary on the book:
Here are the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism are stated in simple terms:
1. Suffering, pain, and misery exist in life
2. Suffering arises from attachment to desires
3. Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases
4. Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eight-fold Path